The use of wooden pieces of substantial size in a multitude of construction applications is commonplace. These wooden pieces, typically referred to as timbers, are used as building posts, utility poles, mining supports, railroad ties, and the like.
Typically, timbers have comprised solid wood structures that are -pressure treated and/or coated with preservatives and the like to inhibit rot, insect infestation, and similar degradation. Generally, such coatings and pressure treating materials are not environmentally friendly, but include creosote, arsenic and other toxic substances.
Timbers are typically made of hardwoods such as oak and are not only very expensive, but subject to rot, as mentioned above. Typically, hardwoods are slow growing and, accordingly, risk being in short supply, limiting their availability for other uses such as furniture and paneling, while aggravating their cost. While it has been found that more permanent and stronger timbers can be fabricated of reinforced carbon fiber, fiberglass, and similar materials, such fabricated timbers are typically cost prohibitive.
It is most desirable that timbers be capable of being recycled and reused, such that damaged, worn or rotted areas may be removed and replaced or reinforced in any of various manners, such as described in our co-pending patent application Ser. No. 13/013,168, for “Restoring and Recycling Railroad Ties” filed Jan. 25, 2011. It is further desirable to have readily available and cost effective cores for the “Composite Structure for Railroad Ties and Other Structural Members and Method for Their Manufacture” as set forth in our co-pending patent application Ser. No. 12/649,921, filed Dec. 30, 2009.
There is a need in the art for timbers that may be constructed of material from fast growing and readily available sources and that are environmentally friendly while being naturally resistant to rot and environmental degradation. There is a need in the art for such timbers that are at least as strong as existing timbers, and there is a need for such timbers that may be fabricated in a cost effective manner.